Wax cake



Nov. 16, 1937. L, MACQMBER 2,099,213

WAX CAKE Filed June 12, 1955 Patented Nov. 16, 1937 UNITED STATES earnWAX CAKE Lewis ILMacomber, Kalamazoo, Mich, assignmto Kalamazoo ParaffiMich.

ne Company, Kalamazoo,

Application June 12, 1935, Serial No. 26,193

waxed'cakes and the like.

"Fourth, to provide an improved shape for paraflin wax cakes wherebythey may be handled more efficiently as individual units or cakes.

Fifth, toprovide means for preventing injurious slippage between thewaxed cakes of a stack.

Sixth, to provide .means preventing the wax cakesof a stack fromsolidifying by heat into a singleunit.

Objects relating to details and economies of my invention will appearfrom. the description to follow. The invention is defined and pointedout in the claims.

A structure which is a preferred embodiment of my invention isillustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of my improved wax cake.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary end 'view of two stacks of the wax cakes, thewax cakes being only three cakes high but it will be understood that incommercial practice they are ordinarily several cakes high.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary section on line 3-3 of. Fig. 2.

In the past, it has been the customary practice to manufacture paraffinwax cakes in the shape of rectangular blocks or prisms approximately onefoot wide by two feet long by two and onehalf inches thick. These cakesare commonly, for shipment and storage and cooling, placed one on top ofanother. Since these paraffin wax cakes are of considerable size andbody, the central portion of the cake cooling more slowly than the outerportion, there is a marked tendency for discoloring and clouding withinthe cake with a result that the cakes are not uniformly transparent andhave the appearance of being inferior or damaged, although not seriouslyinjured in quality. This discoloration frequently leads to complaintsand rejections with consequent loss to the p'araiiin manufacturer.

When these flat or rectangular cakes are piled in stacks, there is atendency for them to unite with each other which prevents their beingindividually removed from the stack except with extreme difficulty andfrequently wedging and prying is necessary which results in chipping andbreakage and further loss. Owing to the smooth character of the surfaceof the cakes, they fre- 3-,;

quentlyi fit so closely together that practically all air is. excludedwith a result that they are separated with extreme difliculty evenwhen'there is ,no-adhesion between the superimposed cakes.

Also, it frequently happens that the cakes in a stack slip relative toeach other and cause serious damage to workers and others and to thecakes themselves.

I provide means for overcoming all of these objections which meansconsists in forming the lie? shape of a slab having parallel sideportions 3 extending from end to end and central longitudinal recessedportions l between these parallel side portions, the bottom of therecessed portions being joined to the fiat side portions by the inclinedportions 5, or in other words, each side of the cake has a widelongitudinal groove with inclined edges, the longitudinal groovecomprising more than half the side'surface of the cakes. The edges 6 ofthe cakes are beveled toward each side from a central point.

With the cakes thus formed, when they are stacked upon each other, asshown in Fig. 2, there is a relatively wide opening between each pair ofadjacent cakes. This allows for free circulation of air and allows thecenter portions of the cakes to cool uniformly with a result that thecakes are clear and transparent throughout. Also, these passages 1permit circulation of air through the stacks to effectively prevent thecakes adhering as frequently results when the cakes are stacked andrequire complete cooling or as results from the temperatures such asfrequently result in freight cars, storage buildings and the like, owingto exposure to the sun or other operating conditions.

the slippage is almost always sidewise of the cake and the stacks rarelytopple.

By forming the edges as illustrated and described with the double bevel,the stacks of cakes may be in substantial abutting relation withouttheir being fused together and without desired circulation of air beingprovided for as the stack ofcakes when in abutting relation asillustrated provide a series of longitudinal passages 8 and there isvery small contacting surface between the stacks,

My improvements result in great economy in handling, in a superiorproduct; that is, one that.

is not likely to discolor from unequal cooling, and breakage in handlingis minimized because of the fact that the cakes do not become welded orfused together so that they are likely to be broken in separating them.7

While I have illustrated and described my invention as particularlyapplicable to cakes of paraffin and it is to such material that I haveapplied my improvements, it is to be understood that it may provedesirable for other similar materials especially waxes having low fusingpoints. I have illustrated my improvements in cakes of approximately thesize which has become standardized through usage. It will'be understoodthat this may be varied as conditions or use or materials may dictate.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is:

1. As an article of manufacture, an elongated flat cake of parafiin waxhaving fiat parallel side surfaces at each edge thereof, and a centralrecess of substantial depth between said flat surfaces, the recessesextending from end to end of the cake so that when a plurality of saidcakes 'ty of the cakes are stacked.

are superimposed one upon another the flat side surfaces are'in contactand the recessed portions opposed providing longitudinal passagesbetween the cakes, the edges of said cakes being oppositely beveled froma central point to the said side surfaces. V

2. As an article of manufacture, a flat elon gated cake of paraifin waxhaving opposed parallel siderportions extending from 'endfto end of thecake and adapted to face corresponding fiat side portions of other cakeswhen the cakes are stacked and a central longitudinal wide recessbetween said fiat side portions and extending from end to end andadapted to oppose corresponding recesses of other cakes when a plurali-3. An article of manufacture comprising a solid cake of wax materialhaving opposed parallel side faces, each having a longitudinalrelatively Wide groove extending from end to end thereof, the edges ofthe cakes being oppositely beveled from a central point to the said sidefaces.

4. As an article of manufacture, an'elcngated flat cake of paraffin waxhaving fiat parallel side portions at each longitudinal edge thereofextending fromend to end of the cake, and central longitudinal recessesbetween said parallel side portions extending from end to end of thecake, said recesses being of substantial and uniform depth and of awidth substantially that of the combined Width of the said sideportions, the edges of the channels being inclined inwardly from saidside portions and the longitudinal edges of said cakes being oppositelybeveled from a central point to the said flat side surfaces.

H. MACQMBER,

